Holland Pitches Shutout As Rangers Beat Blue Jays
TORONTO (AP) – Derek Holland pitched a four-hitter to win his fourth straight decision, Mitch Moreland and Mike Napoli homered and the Texas Rangers beat the Toronto Blue Jays 3-0 on Saturday.
Holland (10-4) reached double digits in victories for the first time and improved to 4-0 with a 1.64 ERA since losing to Florida on July 2. The left-hander has pitched three shutouts in that span, blanking Oakland on July 7 and following that with a shutout of Seattle on July 14.
Holland, who walked one and struck out five, leads the AL with four shutouts this season and is tied with Philadelphia left-hander Cliff Lee for the major league lead. He and catcher Napoli embraced in front of the mound following the final out. Holland threw just 95 pitches, including 69 strikes.
The Blue Jays had just two hits off Holland through the first five innings. Jose Bautista reached on an infield pop fly that was lost in the sun and John McDonald was safe on a bunt single in the second when Holland's errant throw went down the right field line. After a visit to the mound by manager Ron Washington, Holland struck out J.P. Arencibia looking to end the inning, starting a stretch of 12 consecutive outs.
Bautista hit a two-out single to left in the sixth but Adam Lind ended the inning by grounding to the mound. Arencibia reached on a one-out infield single in the eighth, but Aaron Hill followed by grounding into a double play.
Napoli singled to begin the second and Moreland followed with a line drive homer to right-center off left-hander Brad Mills, his 13th of the season. It was Moreland's first career homer off a left-hander.
Making his first start of the season, Mills (0-1) allowed two runs and six hits in seven innings, matching a career-high.
Napoli made it 3-0 with a solo shot to center in the eighth, his 15th.
Rangers infielder Ian Kinsler snapped an 0 for 20 slump with a leadoff single to left in the fifth. Kinsler had been held hitless in his previous four games.
Blue Jays shortstop Yunel Escobar was ejected in the sixth for arguing a call at first base. Escobar jumped up and down in anger after he was called out on a ground ball up the middle, arguing with umpire Marvin Hudson that Kinsler's throw had pulled Michael Young off the bag.
Hill replaced Escobar and played second base, with McDonald moving from second to shortstop.
Toronto's Colby Rasmus went 0 for 4 and is 0 for 12 with a walk in three games since being traded to Toronto on Wednesday.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
